Containers for electrical bulbs and the like



Dec. 22, 1964 K. GREENE 3,162,303

CONTAINERS FOR ELECTRICAL BULBS AND THE LIKE Filed April 8, 1963 United States Patent Office 3,l62,3d3 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 3,162,303 CONTAINERS FOR ELECTRICAL BULBS AND THE LIKE Kermit Greene, Newton Center, Mass, assignor to St.

Regis Paper Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 271,311 4 Claims. (Cl. 206-46) This invention relates to containers and blanks for forming same, for use in the packaging of electric lamp bulbs and other electric bulbs and the like frangible objects.

The packaging of such objects in a manner which will be highly economical while insuring adequate protection thereof and still leaving same readily accessible for customer inspection or removal, has involved problems which have not heretofore met with an ideal solution. Such bulbs are often simply placed in open-ended elongated containers of square cross-section and formed of single-faced corrugated paperboard. The ends of such containers have been covered by wrapping the package in a covering sheet or the like with portions of such sheet at the end folded thereover. Such packages, however, after some handling, may allow the contained objects to slip out and become broken, particularly if whatever wrapping is used to provide the end closures therefor, is not securely positioned. For convenience of manufacture and shipment, it is desirable to make such packages of square crosssection even though the bulbs contained therein are of circular cross-section. This may result, after handling of the packages, in causing the container to become of more or less roundedcross-section, thus allowing the contained bulbs more readily to slip out. While many different forms of paperboard insert partitions and the like have been proposed for such packages for more securely retaining in position the objects therein, these have involved considerable expense considering the highly competitive conditions and further involve inconveniences in packing, and ready removal of the objects therefrom, or in opening same for customer inspection.

The present invention provides a form of container and container blank for the above-indicated purposes, and which will involve substantially no further expense either in the manufacture of the blanks or in inserting the ob jects therein, than is involved in the plain containers of square cross-section such as above referred to and yet the construction is such as securely to retain the bulbs or other frangible objects against sliding out of place and at the same time strengthening the container against any such deflections of the walls thereof as might tend to allow the contained objects to slip out.

In accordance with the invention, a die-cut blank is provided of paperboard, preferably although not necessarily, corrugated paperboard, for example single-faced corrugated paperboard, creased to provide a succession of hingedly-connected wall portions, for example four walls in the usual case where the container is to have a square or rectangular cross-section, although the container may, of course, be made of other polygonal cross-sectional shapes, such as triangular or polygonal. Securing flaps are provided at each end of the series of wall panels, which are designed to be folded over and directed inwardly from one of the corners of the package when set up, such flaps bearing adhesive on non-corrugated surfaces thereof which are brought into contact with each other and adhered so as to provide within such corner of the package an inwardly-directed, relatively firm brace, the inner edge of which may be formed with a suitable arcuate or scalloped portion or portions with curvatures corresponding to those of the object to be packed and so as to embrace a portion of the arcuate surface for example in the case of a lamp bulb. This brace means will be relatively firm or rigid, inasmuch as its outer surfaces each will include portions of the corrugated sheet and thus such brace means, in conjunction with two adjacent wall portions of the container, will engage the bulb or the like at three spaced regions, thus firmly holding the bulb in place while at the same time having a bracing effect on the container as a whole, checking any tendency which might otherwise occur for the container to become distorted or rounded at its corners. In case the containers are made and shipped in flat blank form to the place where they are to be used for packaging objects, then the non-corrugated surfaces of the securing flap portions thereof may be covered with a suitable cohesive coating, such for eX- ample as disclosed in US. patents to Jennings, Nos. 2,432,- 074 and 2,432,075, or to Copeman et al., No. 2,704,732, reference to which is hereby made. Then before or after the object to be packed is placed on or surrounded by the blank, the cohesive-coated flaps may be pressed together to provide the brace means above referred to, for engaging the object within the package. In cases Where the blank is folded to form a carton-like package before shipment to the user, then the closure flaps may be adhered together by any suitable conventional type of adhesive.

In some cases it may be desirable also to coat the inner corrugated surfaces of the package with a cohesive material such as above referred to and which will not have such tackiness as to tend to adhere to the contained objects, but which will nevertheless have a high coeificient of friction with respect thereto, thereby tending more securely to retain the object in place against slippage out of position.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a preferred form of blank for forming a container in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the container of FIG. 1 and illustrating its use for packaging a lamp bulb by way of example; and

FIG. 4 is a top view of the in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings in further detail, the container blank as shown in FIG. 2 may comprise a rectangular sheet of single-faced corrugated paperboard as at 10, formed with a plurality of creases or score lines as at 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15, for dividing the blank into four side wall panels as at 16, 17, 18 and 19 respectively, with securing flaps as at 20, 21 at each end of the series of panels. When the blank is folded to form a container, the corrugated surface is to be located on the interior while the reverse surfaces of said securing fiaps are covered with a coating of cohesive or adhesive material, as above referred to, and as indicated at 29', 21.

At appropriate locations along on the edges of the securing flaps, same are formed with cut-out portions as at 22, 23, which will generally be arcuate or scalloped or will otherwise be shaped so as to conform with and to engage the surfaceof a frangible bulb or other object 24, which is enclosed in the finished package, as best shown in FIG. 3. i

The blank may be folded into a box-like container with the flaps 2b, 21, protruding inwardly from one corner, and adhered together as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, and then the bulb 24, or other object to be packed, may be package of the form shown single-faced laminate for'n'ld' he'sivematerial; may b'esqueezedtogetherto the condi tion' best shownin" FIG; 4', to complete'the'paclage.

V flap portions It will thus be apparent that a very. inexpensive con- 7 tamer isf'pro'vidd which'- may be readily formed of a sim' pl'e singleiacedcorrugated paperboard blank, while pro vidirig an effective internal retaining: and brace means witli little or n'o'further expense for paperboard than 'is r'equire'afor similar or conventionalcontainers not=having s'u'ch' brace means. That is,'- for ctn'iverltion'al fdrrhs" of corrugated aperbda'rncontaifiers, securing flap portions forthe joint in the walls of the container must be pro" vided iri any event, and" it nie'aris'iri accordance wit the present invention requires no extrapaperboard'material nor any manufacturing'steps which would be mdreexpensive than for similar boxes withwall jo'ifits conventionally formed. Also" the" invert tio'n prod/ides" a corzs'truction suchthat the blanks therefor may be reanny shippedto the user irrcornpact quantities W'h'ile' Still spread out in flat condition" and yet each blank can be thereafter folded a'ro'uridthe object to be packed and the securin flaps cohere'd without the use: of ex" pe'n e uipment. Alternatively; the securing-flaps may bein'itially' adheredt'ogether and the cartons with only the corner 13 folded over flat, may be shipped in col"- lapsed conditiofitothe'us'er. I a

While the container is preferably formed of single: faced corrugated"paperboard;-if will'be-understood that a of flexible sheet material other than paperboard rr'ia'y'b'e used such for example as various terms of plastic" sheet material which generally Should be of Such a fleiible nature that the brace means" withinthe enclosure as above referred to will more or less iet'dalily retain the bulbous object a ainst longitudinal displac'ernent-by'rasoriof the object being embrace tween the Bracem'eafis and the opposite" wau fianele of theencloslire'. V v 7 Although a certain particular embodiment of th in vention is herein disclosed for purposes of explanati n, possibleni'odiiicatibfis tlieredf after st (13 of this specification, will be apparent to thdse's'lillefd ih thear' t to which? the invention pertains. Refere'rice'shoul accordin'g y' be had route appendd-c1 aims-in determining nie'seope of tiieifiventrbn. 7 V 1 wheels claimed and desired to be secured by lletters Patent is: p I

f. A bl' ank' for runnin a container for enclosing a bulbous object and comprising an elongated area of single fa'ce'd corrugated laminate of flexible sheet material, a plurality of spaced apart transvers score lines being formed on said area for demarkirlgthe Borders of Wall panels when the'blanli is folded along saidliiies'to form an enclosure of polygonal cross section,

will be apparent that the brace" relatively narrow inwardly ofthe' enclosure section and formed I V v p in the foregoingclaim 1-, blank being fold'ed along said transverse scorelines to form the enclosure of polygextending, along each'of the ends of said area, said flap portions on the surface reverse to the corrugated surface being coated with adhesive, said flap portions being adapted to be folded inwardly of the enclosure and adhered together to form brace means for protruding. diagonally iiiwa'rdly' of a corner of the enclosure, the terminal% edge'ecfi saidflap portions being formed curved: cuf-out area's adapted to 1 be positioned to engage along a" portion of the surface of the bulbous object to be contained in the enclosure for yieldably retaining the same ag'a'iri'st displacement.

2. A wrapperfor containing a frangible bulb or the likeobject; comprising-. an enclosure of polygonal crossof the container blank" as specifiedonal cross-section and said flapportiOns' being foldedand adhered together to form said brace means. p p

3; A package containinga'fr angiblebulb or the like objech; comprising enclosure of-polygonal' cross-section andformed of the container blank as specified in 1 claim 4, said blank being folded along said transverse score lines to form the enclosure of polygonal crossalongeach of'the -ends of said area,

section andsaid flap portions being folded inwardly of the enclosure and adhered together to form said brace meansgthe bulbou's portion of thefrangible bulb engagingthe said curved cut out' areas and the opposite walls of the enclosureembracing and yieldably retaining the bulbous portionagainst displacement.

4. A blank for forming a container for enclosing a bulbous object and co'rrlprising an elongated area of flexible paper-board sheet material, a plurality of spacedapart transverse scorelines, being formed on said area for demarkingtthelborders of wan panelswhen the blank is folded alongsaid lines to form an enclosure of polygonal-cros's-section,relativelynfirowfiapportions extending v said flap portions on smooth surfacesthereof being coated with adhesive, said flap portions being adapted to be folded inwardly of the enclosure and adhered together to form brace means for protruding diagonally inwardly of a corner of the enclosure, the tei niiiialedges of said flap means portions 7 curved cut-out areas adapted to be positioned to engage alo'ng a portion of the surface of the bulbous objectto be containe in the enclosure for yieldably retaining the same against displacement.

References Cited in thefile' of this patent being formed with me r ges 127-129.. 

1. A BLANK FOR FORMING A CONTAINER FOR ENCLOSING A BULBOUS OBJECT AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATED AREA OF SINGLE-FACED CORRUGATED LAMINATE OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL, A PLURALITY OF SPACED-APART TRANSVERSE SCORE LINES BEING FORMED ON SAID AREA FOR DEMARKING THE BORDERS OF WALL PANELS WHEN THE BLANK IS FOLDED ALONG SAID LINES TO FORM AN ENCLOSURE OF POLYGONAL CROSS-SECTION, RELATIVELY NARROW FLAP PORTIONS EXTENDING ALONG EACH OF THE ENDS OF SAID AREA, SAID FLAP PORTIONS ON THE SURFACE REVERSE TO THE CORRUGATED SURFACE BEING COATED WITH ADHESIVE, SAID FLAP PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE FOLDED INWARDLY OF THE ENCLOSURE AND ADHERED TOGETHER TO FORM BRACE MEANS FOR PROTRUDING DIAGONALLY INWARDLY OF A CORNER OF THE ENCLOSURE, THE TERMINAL EDGES OF SAID FLAP PORTIONS BEING FORMED WITH CURVED CUT-OUT AREAS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED TO ENGAGE ALONG A PORTION OF THE SURFACE OF THE BULBOUS OBJECT TO BE CONTAINED IN THE ENCLOSURE FOR YIELDABLY RETAINING THE SAME AGAINST DISPLACEMENT. 